Wendy's Week 2 Training Blog

As a casual jogger, I’ve often mused quietly that I’d love to do a marathon one day. It’s on the bucket list along with many other cool ideas. Now in the space of two weeks I’ve somehow signed up for the Auckland marathon, bought a running watch and been to see Gaz from Get Running. That was the easy bit.

Now I actually have to do it. Honestly I’m terrified. Two half marathons and a couple of weekly runs around the block do not equal a marathon!

For some reason Gaz the running expert doesn’t go out of his way to reassure me. He wants to be sure I’m serious about stepping up to 42k’s. Gaz wants to talk all about my history and the sports I did growing up. I talk up my past as a semi-serious gymnast and sprinter. Gaz even asks me what my births were like when I had my 3 kids.

In the end I have a running plan. Gaz fits my plan around my life which is a huge relief. I spend a lot of downtime taking 3 kids to sports stuff. So weekends are spent being largely a taxi driver. I was so worried I was suddenly going to have to run 25ks three times a week. However far from it. I keep running my usual two runs (one long, one short) a week but step it up to 3 at this stage. The third run is just a ‘recovery run’ of 6.5ks where I have to keep my heart rate at 145 beats per minute. This turns out to be harder than I thought but that’s what I need to do to run four long hours on October 29.

I’m also paranoid I might fall down dead from trying to run such a long way. Gaz laughs when I tell him this but I’m actually serious. Ironically I bump into ZB host and former tele colleague Rachel Smalley who’s run seven marathons in the last 18 months! She’s an inspiration. She gives me her cardiologist’s number and talks about a lactate test.

All in all, I’m quietly excited about my running plan, the marathon and achieving something for me.